If there’s anything you can say about Detroit City Football Club, it’s that they know how to throw a party. With the smoke, the goals, and a generally packed house, DCFC has one of the best shows in lower league soccer. Of course, a core component to a good party is a great guest list and over the years, Detroit has hosted some of the biggest names in international soccer. Tonight, Detroit will add to that list when it welcomes Santos Laguna to Keyworth.

Santos Laguna is just the most recent big name club to make the trip to Detroit to play in an international friendly. This is the tenth in the USL Championship club’s history, with the list beginning in 2016, when FC United of Manchester played against the then-NPSL side. That list has continued to grow since with visited from Glentoran FC (2017), Venezia FC (2017), FC St. Pauli (2018), Club Necaxa (2018), Frosinone Calcio (2018), FC Juárez (2019), Club Atlas (2019), and Pumas UNAM (2024). The club has made a name for itself as a spot for teams outside the country to visit.

Detroit City has a set a bar for excellence that few clubs of its level can hope for and part of that is its consistent ability to attract and entertain clubs from around the world. The club has leveraged those relationships to attract fans from its community. Last year, when the team welcomed Pumas from LigaMX, DCFC founder Sean Mann spoke with Protagonist Soccer about how the team has connected with Detroit’s communities through these friendlies. “They are great ways for us to reach out to the Latino community in the Detroit area. Those matches have really springboarded our growth.”

The friendly with Santos Laguna kicks off tonight at Keyworth at 7p ET. Detroit City is currently 5th in the USL Championship East standings.

- Dan Vaughn